Chicken Breasts with Bacon, Mozzarella and Basil served with Pan Fried Summer Squash

It's finally homegrown tomato season in my neck of the woods. I love going out to the garden and picking fresh veggies to prepare our meals. For last nights dinner we had basil, tomatoes and summer squash, all picked fresh. It was so easy and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

One Bonless Skinless Chicken Breast per person

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Fresh Large Basil leaves

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Salt and Pepper

Small amount of Olive Oil

2 slices of Bacon per chicken breast

For the Squash

Fresh Summer (crookneck or yellow) Squash

2 Tbsps Butter

1/2 of a medium sweet onion.

2 Tbsp reserved bacon grease

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place bacon slices in a single layer on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet. Bake bacon in the preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes until partially cooked, do not crisp.

 Remove bacon to papertowels to cool.

Reserve bacon grease for later.

Wash, pat dry and seperate basil leaves.

Slice about 1/2 of the mozzarella and shred the other half.

Wash and pat dry chicken breasts. Trim any excess fat.

Slice a pocket in each breast, taking care not to cut all the way through.

Place a couple of basil leaves inside the pocket and one to one and a half slices of cheese.

Close up the breast - secure with a toothpick if desired. 

Pour a small amount of olive oil on each breast and use your fingers to rub it around.

Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Wash and slice your tomato and place 2 - 3 sliced on each piece of chicken.

Sprinkle tomato slices with more snipped basil (if desired).

Place 2 slices of bacon across the top of each breast, in a X pattern.

Bake in your preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle tops with the freshly grated mozzarella and a spinkling of the Parmigiano Reggiano.

Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

While the chicken is baking.

Slice 1/2 of a sweet onion (such as Vidalia) and chop your squash into 1/2 - 3/4 inch slices.

Put your reserved bacon grease (about 2 TBSP) and 2 Tablespoons of butter into your fry pan and heat on medium high. Add onions and sautee until they start to wilt.

Add squash to the pan. Once the squash starts to brown, flip the pieces over and brown the other side.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Enjoy!



Easy Blackened Chicken Breasts

Atkins Induction Friendly Recipe.



This recipe produces the juiciest chicken, with flavor all the way through to the bone. The resting time after baking is a very important step. If you skip it, the flavor will not go all the way through the meat. Trust me, it is worth the wait.

INGREDIENTS

Bone in Chicken Breasts

Cajun Spice Blend (CLICK HERE for my recipe)

Oil for cooking

Sprinkle chicken breasts liberally with cajun spice rub, on both sides.

Pat mixture in with your hands.

Preheat oven proof pan with oil, over medium high heat (a cast iron skillet is preferable).

 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place chicken breasts skin side down in the hot pan and sear for several minutes, until the skin starts to look 'blackend.'

Turn and cook the other side the same way, about 3 minutes. 

Place the pan with the chicken in it, skin side up into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes.

Serve!

Green Beans steamed with bacon go nicely with this spicy chicken.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Proscuitto, Fontina and Roasted Red Peppers

I've been making this recipe for years. It is one of our favorites. Normally I pound out the chicken and then stuff and roll it, securing it with twine. And then my better half grills it. This time I decided to take a short cut. I stuffed the breasts by making a pocket in them, and then baked them in the oven. They were still delicious. If you're interested in the first technique, I posted it to my Gather page here http://moggysrecipes.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977384519

INGREDIENTS

3 Chicken Breasts

3 oz of Proscuitto

4-6 oz Fontina Cheese

Roasted Red Pepper Strips (about 5 oz or 1/3 of a 16 oz)

Rosemary (fresh or dried)

Salt and Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut a pocket in each chicken breast. Take care not to cut all the way through. Sprinkle the breasts with a little Rosemary (to taste) inside and out.

Place one or two pieces of Proscuitto inside the pocket of each breast - lining it.

Slice the Fontina and place the desired amount along with slices of the roasted red pepper in the pockets on top of the Proscuitto.

Pull the breast meat tightly over the stuffing and secure it with a couple of toothpicks. Make the closure as tightly as you can, this will keep the cheese from melting and running out.

Line a baking pan or sheet with aluminum foil (if desired - I do this to make clean up easy) and oil it lightly. Sprinkle the breasts with a little salt and pepper and place them in the pan.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until done.

(As you can see some of my cheese ran out into the pan juices, I just dumped it all on top - it was delicious)

Serve and Enjoy!

NOTE: There are approxiamtely 9 carbs in the entire recipe, so one chicken breast will be about 3 carbs. To be more specific you can weigh your ingredients and input the information into a program such as fitday.com or myfitnesspal.com